Nightmare Sound Lab is dedicated to all things Horror and SciFi in music, art, movies, comics, and culture. At Nightmare Sound Laboratory there is a monster in every room and a robot doorman to guide the way.
Mad science is the only science studied here, and outlandish sonic experiments are the rule, not the exception.

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Thursday, December 30, 2010

This New Year I am probably the last person who should write about “How to keep New Year’s resolutions” (so I won’t). I am as guilty as anyone of what I call the creative “Art of Multi-crastination” and have a task list longer than my arm stretched out before me as we speak!

I’d like to talk about the “Why” - Why NOW is a particularly important time. And I don’t mean in that nebulous Zen “Now is the only moment of power” kind of way (even though it’s true).

As we approach this New Year - 2011, many of us carry forward resolutions to do more, do it better, and get in great shape while we are doing it.These valiant goals and others come in many forms and just about every artist, writer, musician, filmmaker and entrepreneur have a host of industry specific goals they would like to achieve at the start of each year.

For Artists of all kinds, the journey from creative inclinations to professional aspirations and achievements is indeed a great odyssey!

But this year is a particularly interesting and fortuitous year to get on top of that list and really tackle the goals you wish to achieve.“The industry” is in a temporary upheaval and there is a groundswell of independent arts activity and technology that is shifting the balance of power and creating a more Artist friendly environment with more direct connection to audiences. Alternate paradigms are emerging and gaining ground.

The challenge and core “down in the gut” question for many ambitious creative people has always been “How can I “make it” doing what I love to do?”For many that means finding a functional “middle class” path that not only provides life’s necessities, but also the means to facilitate the manifestation of more new and unique collaborations and works of art and entertainment.

There are some lovely new “memes” spreading across the internet like “authenticity” and “Becoming one’s own brand”, but … there is still a long way to go! There is always the danger that these ideas with such great potential could simply be assimilated and abused to dysfunction by the pre-existing stagnant industry giants or people that are still so saturated by the previously engrained “competition” and “scarcity” based paradigms that they simply imprint the old memes upon the new ones, effectively canceling their value. (i.e. SPAM and “Push Selling” ain’t “NEW” or “authentic” simply because it’s “tweeted” from a freakin’ Star Trek lookin’ Android or iPhone”).

2011 holds a great deal of potential opportunity precisely because we are in this state of flux. The atmosphere is bristling for change and anyone with the courage and fortitude to play a positive role in that development NOW has a good chance of finding their “wave” in the years to come. Being flexible and open to new ideas, people and processes while maintaining clear focus on our goals may just be the key to riding this wave. I truly hope that there are many of us who can heed this call.

We need to cautiously but expeditiously find our way through developing better business paradigms SO THAT we can really sit down and focus on developing our craft and our art. That is after all, the heart of what we do and the reason why most of us do it in the first place.

We need to be able to focus on writing NEW stories and finding amazing new ways to tell them.

We need to expand our creative and cultural vocabularies by collaborating with artists, friends and partners that enrich and enhance each other

And we need (and deserve) to be able to survive and thrive while growing and expanding to our full creative potential. “The Arts” play a very important role in culture – too important to be left in the hands of bean counters and corporate executives with no connection to the art itself.

Whatever your role in the world of arts and entertainment, now is the time (while the “system” is broken or at least reasonably off its footing) to rebuild our industry more in the image we’d like to see, rather than simply struggling to get on for the ride and trying like hell not to get bucked off.

Just keeping our ordinary New Year’s resolutions seems hard enough. Getting on point toward building a great career and body of work in the Arts is an added challenge. Doing it during an economy in flux adds even further complication. Attempting to change the industry one artist at a time may seem even more daunting. But determining to do any of those things NOW may just be the single step that launches the rest of your own amazing creative odyssey in the world of Art and Filmmaking in the 21st Century.

Stanley Kubrick's "2001 A Space Odyssey" was a groundbreaking film and represented what great filmmakers could achieve at the time. It spoke to the 21st Century over thirty years before it would actually arrive.

Take inspiration from that and speak to your own future as an Artist and your own personal creative odyssey for 2011.

Thursday, November 25, 2010

This month Nightmare Sound Laboratory is kicking off a special feature:

‘Drive By Interviews’with Filmmakers, Writers, Artists, Musicians and other Creatives.

The goal is to shine a quick spotlight on talented creatives working in the super cool land of film, music, storytelling and "comic bookery"

The process is simple. I ask three questions and get a little info I can feature about the latest work of the selected artists.

As Thanksgiving approaches I am now (and always) enormously grateful to the artists that inspired my life in storytelling, art, film and music. In honor of that gratitude one question I will ask all 'Drive By Featured Artists" is regarding the first or primary influences that launched them toward a career in their chosen field. So without further adieu let me present:

T.R. : " What was the first moment, (and if applicable, movie, comic, or other influence that inspired you to KNOW you had to be involved in the creative process/industry?"

T.W.:" It was the first time I saw Tim Burton's BATMAN in 1989. That opening sequence, with the Elfman score propelling us towards a bat symbol made me want to do something creative. I thought film music would be my vocation, but it turned out that I wanted to be a filmmaker."

T. R. : Where do you see the “Transmedia” movement taking entertainment and storytelling over the next five to ten years?

T.W.: "We're going to see a similar thing that happened from silent film to the "talkies." After awhile, the "Talkies" were no longer considered separate, and it all became "Film." The same thing's going to happen here - the term "transmedia" will be dropped from "storytelling," and it will just be what it is: storytelling."

T. R. : Where do you want to see yourself in the creative field five years from now and what role do you see Whiz Bam Pow playing in that equation?

T.W.: "I wish I had a more definite answer but here goes: I want to be continuing and growing a sustainable creative career, working with cool people, and getting the chance to tell the stories I want to tell the way I want to tell them. As far as where Whiz!Bam!Pow! fits in to that equation? It's my hope that it continues to be a thriving and developing universe that people enjoy being a part of."

All Whiz!Bam!Pow! Artwork by Blair J. Campbell. Courtesy of Whiz!Bam!Pow!

Sunday, October 31, 2010

It's Springtime! Vampire Mob has started shooting Season Two because of all of you and that is exciting. But they could still use some more funds to ensure the completion of the new season! I am still offering the bonus music reward for all financial backers of Vampire Mob, a dowloadable 70 minute CD DJ mix of original music created by TAO X Productions studio, from cinematic horror music to electronica fit for danceclub vampires. They also have the AWESOME Vampire Mob logo and "we are all famous to a few people" T-shirts available to help support the cause!

The new season has added even more cast members you are sure to enjoy. So check out the new trailer for Season Two and whether you are new to the "VMob" or a previous supporter, please think about donating to keep making this excellent Web TV possible!

Go to their site to find out more and check out the great swag you can get for becoming a supporting producer! Read the original article below and head on over to WWW.VAMPIREMOB.COM

This Halloween I wanted to share a GREAT web series with a dedicated cast and crew working hard to bring you a quality show well worth your time. What happens when you put writer/director Joe Wilson behind the reigns of a labor of love Vampire Comedy featuring TOP NOTCH actors and quality writing?

Vampire Mob happens!

If you haven't seen it yet, you are missing out!

The premise is stunningly simple and a great vehicle for this talented cast and crew! "Vampire Mob" revolves around the life (afterlife?) of John Colella's character, the Mobster turned Vampire, Don Grigioni...and his Family!

"He’s a hitman and a vampire, and he just found out his mother-in-law is moving in for eternity."

The series, produced by Joe Wilson & John Colella, has completed its six episode run of Season One which has featured cast members from “The Simpsons,” “Boardwalk Empire” and “Criminal Minds,” and includes John Colella, Reamy Hall, Marcia Wallace, Kirsten Vangness, Chris Mulkey, Elizabeth Beckwith, Andrea Cansler, Jim Roof and Cris DAnnunzio. Members of the VMob cast have also appeared in: The Bob Newhart Show, Twin Peaks, Friday Night Lights, CSI: NY, The West Wing, General Hospital, Bowfinger and others. Season One, I came to discover, was the entirely self-financed labor of love of Joe Wilson. Now its time for Season Two! Vampire Mob could use any help they can get financing Season Two and they would love it if their Fans themselves could directly effect the outcome by pitching in what they can! They are offering many delicious rewards for contributing to the creation of this high caliber, new media monster madness. You can contribute directly at the Vampire Mob site!

To give the VMob a hand, I have donated to help make Season Two, AND I am offering a FREE music download of wonderfully horrific Halloween appropriate music I had just put together for a Flyway Film Festival Special Backer Event - A screening of Gary King's "The Death of the Dead".

Some of this music will never be released anywhere else except for these downloads available only to the Flyway Film Fest Kickstarter backers, and now YOU, VMob supporters who donate to the Vampire Mob Season Two campaign! I even provided some sassy CD art and a track list for this Halloween DJ Mix of original music from TAO X Productions !

A little or a lot, give what you've got, if you like quality entertainment...and Vampire Mobsters,

Help keep this show Undead!!!

Contribute to Season Two and get a Vampire Mob Backer Reward that consists of a 70 minute mix of some BADASS cinematic horror and dark electronic club thumping vibes by 'your's truly' Composer T. Reed of TAO X Productions created right here in my Nightmare Sound Laboratory!

Go DONATE at the Vampire Mob Website and get your access code for this FREE DOWNLOAD. Click on the CD image below to get to download site and enter your code to access your reward!

Saturday, October 30, 2010

The Story of my Race to the “Mortuary” with Horror Director - Tobe Hooper

First let me clear a couple things up –

This was not a metaphorical race to the grave, nor an actual footrace to the gates of the cemetery.

This was a race to finish a film.

But before I go on…a second point:

Tobe Hooper is NOT the Devil! (I just thought that was a snazzy title;)

But he might as well have been, to the people who wanted his horror masterpiece banned, often based on the name alone! “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre” will go down as one of the most groundbreaking films in the Horror genre. The greatest irony is that, for a film with such a gruesome reputation, there was very little gore (at least by today’s standards) and precious little stage blood used, and yet it still resonates as terrifying to this day!

No small part of this was probably due to the unique score created by Tobe Hooper himself, using unconventional instruments to create the discomforting sound that was so important to creating that horrific environment. But as we know - as directors become more “in demand”, having the time to score as well as direct becomes a much less viable option (yes, even if you are John Carpenter;) So this was a rare point in his career where passion and skill had the perfect environment to converge!

Oh and synchronicity…did I mention synchronicity? (I’ll come back to that – so pay attention!) But let's just start with the fact that Tobe Hooper's "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" was inspired by Wisconsin's (and perhaps one of the World's) most notorious serial killers, (and human taxidermists) Ed Gein!

In any event, the art, hunger, dedication (and suffering) which usually only comes from that kind of an independent film making experience, came through in the film in an artful, earnest and terrifying way. The New York Museum of Modern Art agrees apparently, and has a copy of the film amongst their permanent collection.

But you didn’t come here to listen to me wax poetic on the virtues of “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre” (even though I gladly could, and would) you came for a race! Ah, but first, Synchronicity! (Told you there’d be a quiz!)

Long after the original TCM struck terror in the hearts of British censorship boards (and others), long after “Poltergeist”, Tobe made a movie adapted from a short story Stephan King called “The Mangler”. The film featured Nightmare on Elm Street’s Robert Englund and Ted Levine as well as, yes, you guessed it, a demon possessed laundry mangling machine.

And here is where strange synchronicities (and your’s truly) come into the story.

Flash forward about 9 more years! (2004) I fly to San Francisco to meet with the Director of a film called Mortuary to sign contracts and have a look at the roughs on an actual telecine machine. In fact, the entire film was being edited on the very machine that was used to edit Terry Zwigoff’s Robert Crumb documentary, {“Crumb” 1994} or so I was told. It was entirely believable.

Just an aside: Terry Zwigoff (by the way) is also a Wisconsin Native and a musician/filmmaker. I hadn’t even considered that coincidence (and that his name is also Terry) until writing this article now!

10 years later the machine he used to cut “Crumb” wheezed and cranked like it had a devil in it, the kind of thing that could only happen to a machine after having born witness to the surreal expression of countless filmmaker’s projects! As Director Sean Hazelaar showed me reel one, we carried forward with the conversation we started on the phone before I arrived at his studio. He had mentioned one particular scene involving a mortician’s furnace in which all the set sound was destroyed by a bad hum generated by nearby machines. I would be expected to really make something sweet here, because it was a very important SFX scene.

When he asked me about this, I hadn’t seen the film yet. It just so happens that I have an extensive background in horror and a huge collection of horror/scifi and Asian films (on good ol’ hard copy DVD;)

I thought about the furnace scene and off the top of my head I said something to the effect that I could hear music/sound there sort of similar to that in the scenes of the evil machine in Tobe Hooper’s “The Mangler”. The Director’s jaw dropped. He informed me that the guy they hired to do that special FX scene was someone who had worked on “The Mangler”.

That in itself was wild! But there’s more…

As my team had taken the reigns of much of the post production, music and sound and were well into getting the color corrections, score and sound design under way, we discovered that Tobe Hooper, by some utterly ‘Bizzaro World’ coincidence, was in production on a movie also called “Mortuary”!

Van Hazelaar Productions “Mortuary” was nearer completion at the time, but Hooper’s “Mortuary” had a larger budget and the capacity to roll a little faster. From here the race was on!

Tobe Hooper's "Mortuary" Trailer 2005

Now we all know it didn’t really matter, as two movies can have the same title in many cases (There was already a Howard Avedis film called “Mortuary” done in the eighties.)

Howard Avedis' "Mortuary" Trailer 1983

~

In the end we had to differentiate the name for foreign and US sales anyhow, so the name of Van Hazelaar’s “Mortuary” became “Final Remains” (which, I am proud to say, was one of my suggestions). It really wouldn’t matter at all, but factually, the statistically unlikely event had occurred. Two movies called “Mortuary” would both appear on IMDB as having been released in 2005. It was just a matter of whose film would get finished first! In truth, Tobe Hooper was probably entirely oblivious to our 85,000 dollar picture, as he was likely quite busy directing, but somewhere an assistant whose job it was to pay attention to just those sort of things must certainly have noticed the site. It would have been hard to miss our use of the Mortuary Movie domain at the time (Now located at VanHazelaar Productions website).

Clip from Mortuary aka final Remains

In the end I believe we technically finished our film first, but with the clout and machinations already in place for Tobe Hooper’s film to enter a marketing and distribution stream, it would obviously be Hooper’s “Mortuary” that would make it to market first. VanHazelaar’s “Mortuary” aka “Final Remains” did however get distribution a little later, in 2006, and is currently available as a rental from: Blockbusterand for sale via Amazon.

"Mortuary" aka "Final Remains" Trailer

In the end, it didn’t matter who won in this race with the Devil. The only thing that mattered, is that for a brief time in 2005 we got to run that race right alongside horror film legend, Tobe Hooper, tiptoeing on the edge of synchronicity with one degree of separation between us and a Master of Horror! Rod Serling could have had a field day introducing this story. It certainly added zest to the project before we got to the truly terrifying (and far less glamorous) part of filmmaking – the hard work;)

Thursday, October 21, 2010

Halloween is almost at hand and the Flyway Film Festival located in Pepin & Stockholm Wisconsin has already begun! Big ups to my fellow Wisconsinites on their successful Kickstarter campaign which helped fund this years awesome films and events including the Special Kickstarter Backer Screening/Party for Gary King's "Death of the Dead" Friday October 22nd at 10:00 PM at the Lake Pepin Art & Design CenterDirector Gary King will be in attendance!

I like to help and encourage other Wisconsin film and music makers to step up to the craft however and whenever possible. Unfortunately, I am booked in the studio for the next month and will not be able to attend this years event! I did however do my part by pitching in to the Flyway Film Festival Kickstarter Campaign AND I have been asked to provide a CD of music for the DOTD After Party. And this I have done, (and if snail mail cooperates it will be arriving before Friday Night's Event!;)

In fact, I thought I would volunteer to add a bonus to the rewards offered by the Flyway Film Fest! For anyone who was a Kickstarter Backer for this years festival, I am going to offer a FREE DOWNLOAD!

Are YOU one of the 65 backers of The Flyway Film Festival Kickstarter Campaign? Would you like to receive a FREE DOWNLOAD of the 'Death of the Dead Party -TAO X MIX'?

All you have to do is comment on this article (in the comments section below) including the phrase:"I supported the Flyway Film Festival on Kickstarter".

OFFICIAL INSTRUCTIONS UPDATE - As posted on Flyway Film Festival Kickstarter Backer site:TAO X Productions is offering a Halloween Bonus Reward for anyone who supported the Flyway Film Festival Kickstarter Campaign:
I gotta make you work for it a little bit, so leave a comment that includes the phrase "I supported the Flyway Film Festival on Kickstarter" under this Blog Post: http://nightmaresoundlab.blogspot.com/2010/10/death-of-dead-at-flyway-filmfest-2010.html
And send me an email to taoxproductions@gmail.com or follow & tweet me @TAOXproductions letting me know, so I can email or DM you a link & code to retrieve a FREE download of the DJ mix I created for The Flyway Film Festival "Death of the Dead" Special Kickstarter Backer Screening After Party!
Scary good music all from my studio for the scary holiday:)
I would also love it if anyone would choose to follow my Nightmare Sound Lab Blog!
Feel free if you like, but I won't make you do that to get your reward.
Thanks,
T. Reed - Composer/Producer
TAOX {The Art of X} Productions http://www.taoxproductions.comhttp://nightmaresoundlab.blogspot.com

P.S. If you are already a blog follower but did not support the Flyway Film Fest campaign and want a copy, please comment on this article with some damn fine fancy talkin' on what you do to help and uplift the state of independent artists, musicians, filmmakers and the craft in general. I can be persuaded to give out a few more codes for a free download:)

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Let me preface this article with a little background. I am a 'Type A', multi-media multi-taskin' creative madman who is entirely unsatisfied sticking to one discipline. I do believe I could be very happy with a set of octopus arms to achieve all that I would like to. So far, knowing of no living mad doctors who can achieve this operation successfully, I have had to settle for less sleep to create more time.

I started as a graphic artist only to become a musician. I employed all of my artistic and sculptural skills for supporting my musical projects including creating posters, promo art, packaging, props, and set/stage design. For two decades I have been pouring creativity out of one vessel or another. I became involved in video production in the late 80;s and since that time have added several other skills and projects to my already full schedule of mad scientist, rock and roll
'comic bookery' (To use a term Tyler Weaver, (creator of "Whiz Bam Pow") likes to say.)
The other day I visited Tyler Weaver's Blog News at: The Tyler Weaver Daily and there was a mysterious audio file the emerged from out of nowhere! I couldn't even be sure that is where it came from! I was frantically closing windows to see if some strange pop up had hit me...nothing; Maybe it was only my subconscious speaking to me? In any event, I am not normally keen on auto-play files on websites wherever they come from, but this one was tastefully mixed, haunting, humorous, and the source of an epiphany in my life as a crazy multi-media artist!
It was a lecture from a soft compelling voice with gentle British accent describing the nature of procrastination.

"Procrastination is..." - It listed through a number of obvious definitions. We've all been there and can relate. But then...it got a little deeper.

Now, I know I procrastinate, but I'm also so busy most of the time that it is hard to picture myself as a "procrastinator" per se'. I mean, how can one be procrastinating if they are always busy, right?
And that is where the revelation kicked in...
I laughed when the voice said "Doing the dishes is procrastination." Because yes, I had coincidentally stepped into the kitchen to do a few dishes when I heard it;)
"Making lists is procrastinating" ...
BUT WAIT! I have to make lists to keep all these projects and their (ever-extending) schedules in order!...And on and on the list went...etc., etc.

And then it said something I can only paraphrase (as the ghostly voice has since vanished from whence it came.) It regarded starting new projects to ensure you could never finish any of the old ones still lost in the loop. FLASH! A light went on in my head. I know I DO THAT! It's not on purpose, and I definitely DO finish lots of things, but still, there is an element of truth inside the statement uttered by that disembodied voice!

There is a certain thrill to the chase when it comes to ideas. The pragmatics and logistics of starting a marketing campaign for an idea in motion, is generally not as alluring as the next "BIG THING" idea that pops into one's head. Carried to it's logical conclusion, without discipline, this can lead to creative projects left on the back burners (of a stove stored in the garage.)

Keep loving what you do and doing what you love!

What do you love to do creatively? Have you fallen into the trap of 'multi-crastinating'? When you've finished adding your comments, you can always procrastinate some more by visiting fellow 'multi-crastinator' Tyler Weaver's latest project at: http://tyler-weaver.com/WhizBamPow!.html
Let me know what you think in the comments!

Saturday, September 11, 2010

Lets take a little closer look at that word, comprised of two words. FREE : as defined in the dictionary as independent and unrestricted. LANCE: defined as a long spear, or to pierce with a lance.

For those of us who actually live the life of a freelancer, it certainly does (at times) seem like a poke in the eye (or elsewhere) with a sharp stick. It can be a very "feast or famine" affair and your work never ends even though you aren't always pulling a check from the intensive efforts required to keep the gears turning. But despite all the battle scars and tribulations, the FREE part still holds enough compelling appeal to keep us coming back for more. I think a lot of people who might enjoy the "romantic" notion of what a "freelancer" might be, would not fare so well when their lips get dry and full of the taste of dirt and blood from hitting the ground a few times. And that's why it takes a special breed to hang in there and roll with the punches.

Speaking of "punches", I recently read another great article on freelancing by a very funny and talented freelance writer, Chuck Wendig, on his website 'Terrible Minds' entitled: 'Want to be a Freelancer? Just Punch Yourself in the Face, Instead'In it he brings up one of the more unsung perils of freelancing: Most people who have never freelanced will probably never understand what exactly it is that you do, and you are going to have to be okay with that fact.

Besides that, you will need to conceal that incredulous look that creeps onto your face when your friends and family start making embarrassingly retarded and backwards statements about your work, of which they clearly know nothing. Chuck's brilliant quote (from the article mentioned above) really captures the heart of the matter with grace and humor!

"Nobody seems to believe that freelancing is real. It’s as if you’re playing pretend. “That’s not a real job, is it?” “No, I just made it up. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to go hang out with my pet dragon and have a tea party in Narnia." - (Chuck Wendig)

There is plenty more that can be said on the subject of freelancing (I'll save that for another article) and I could go on and on with a list of stupid crap people have 'unwittingly' said surrounding the subject, but I think I will leave that for you, dear readers. Any of you freelancers got any stories or examples of the stupid things people have said to you regarding your work? Add your comments here so we can all have a good cathartic laugh,...and then get back to work (or tea time in Narnia, if you prefer;)

Yes I know this isn't Narnia! But it's not freelancing either...or is it?~

Thursday, September 9, 2010

I recently discovered one of the finest horror filmmakers ever! Yeah, that's right, I said EVER! Drew Daywalt is the master of the horror short. There are many well known horror creators for whom I have great admiration, but none of them have had the consistent ability to make the hair stand up on the back of my neck (and include a clever twist) all in under 5 minutes! His latest effort, "Doppelganger", lives up to that benchmark handily. There is little point in giving an actual review of the piece itself, as any spoilers would probably ruin the 'creepalicious' effect. Yeah, I made that word up!

JUST WATCH IT!

Drew Daywalt and his team at Daywalt Fear Factory consistently deliver stellar examples of what can be done with short form low or controlled budget filmmaking. You can see more of his hair raising storytelling at:

And if you liked "Doppelganger", make a point to also watch "Bedfellows". Am I exaggerating by calling Drew Daywalt a Master of Horror? Judge for yourself and let me know your opinion. And for God's sake...

Monday, August 23, 2010

About a year ago, rumors of a robot uprising known as "The Rise of the Retrobots" began to surface.
A lowly Repair Droid , apparently annoyed by frequent queries about his knowledge of this supposed 'robot uprising' tries to answer the question once and for all!

Sunday, August 22, 2010

UPDATE: LAST MERCURY RETROGRADE for 2010:DECEMBER 10 - DECEMBER 30.
Perhaps you are asking yourself, "What does Astrology have to do with being an artist or a media entrepreneur?" There are many who might even scoff at the notion entirely, as if it were some 'mumbo-jumbo' best suited for Saturday night fright flicks.

Let me assure you, that having lived with an astrologer for nearly twenty years and having used it as a tool in our lives, it has been an incredibly helpful 'guidebook'. Skeptics should consider that on an entirely scientific and physical level, if the gravitational forces caused by the motion of planets can move the tides of the oceans, certainly they must have some effect on our own physical bodies (made primarily of water), which must in turn have some effect on our physical, emotional, and spiritual nature. These effects can often be clearly be felt and seen if we are paying attention.

But how can we (entrepreneurs and artists...and, well everyone!) actually work with this information to improve our selves and our lives? Let me give you one powerful example.
Life gets busy and one can easily slip on the consistency with which they (me) update their blogs and networking activity from time to time. Networking can seem like a moot point when impending bills and deadlines loom, and sometimes everything can just plain go haywire, from computers to communications to projects. Thankfully, this is not usually the case, but this can happen to any of us at any time (and probably has at one point or another). We often do not recognize when it's time to stop and rest, or refresh our commitment to excellence and discipline
Enter a particular phenomenon in Astrology called "Mercury Retrograde".Mercury,(The Messenger), is the planet strongly associated with communication and travel. When Mercury goes retrograde it can boggle computers, tie peoples tongues and create misunderstandings. It can also bring an increase in car breakdowns and accidents as well as just generally interference with travel plans.
Now, that may all sound somewhat ominous, and considering it happens three or four times each year and lasts for three (or more in effect) weeks each time, it might appear a daunting obstacle.
But there is an up side to for those who can embrace a more Taoist sense of balance in the Universe. One useful mantra that I have heard (and applied) to Mercury Retrograde is to consider the prefix "re" from retrograde. Use these retrogrades intentionally and take the time to do things that generally use the prefix 're': (rethink, prepare, research, retool, reorganize, reflect, and yes, even relaxation:) Make a conscious effort to slow down and re-examine your situation. Back up your computers before retrograde hits (and remain vigilant with good back up procedures in general). Make sure you have any necessary car repairs taken care of, especially if you plan or expect a long drive. Re-confirm your flights and rooms if you are traveling, and be well prepared for changes and delays. This is also a good time to plan for doing studio repairs or renovations. And despite the focus on travel issues, it can also be a good time to plan for some rest and recreation (provided you remain chill and follow the recommendations above regarding travel!). And while there is never a bad time to revisit gratitude and rectify your attitude, Mercury Retrograde would be a wise time to do so.

Astrology is not an old wives tale used to scare people or fill them with pipe dreams and superstition. It can be a valuable tool (properly utilized) to help the entrepreneurial spirit thrive and navigate in both creative and business environments, as well as in our day to day lives. For anyone involved in the highly competitive and often stressful creative industry, we need all the tools we can get to stay on top of our game, reduce stress, and prepare the way for joyous and prosperous ventures. Astrology can be a useful asset on that journey.

As of the writing of this article we are currently in a Mercury Retrograde that started: August 20th and ends September 12th 2010 (although the effects can be known to start early and slowly wind down prior to and after the 3 week retrograde period).

For a good forum to find out more about Astrology and that kind of stuff you can visit:

Monday, July 5, 2010

Greetings! I've been away from the Blog for a while but am happy to return to announce the upcoming publication of my (very) short (true) ghost story, "Her Last Seven Seconds"which will be published In "Rock and Roll Ghost Stories:" - Volume 1 edited by Stacy McArdle-Sardelli. The book is coming out this October on Charles River Press and features true Ghost stories by various bands and musicians TBA.

Or at least that’s what the Artist formerly known as Cat Stevens might have said about ‘Nekropolis’, the alternate universe inhabited by Matt Richter – Zombie Detective, and the Midnight Watch.

Somewhere between ‘Mad Monster Party’ and the alter-dimensional Hell of Clive Barker’s ‘Hellraiser’ we find ourselves on the “Dead Streets” of Tim Waggoner’s Nekropolis.

In this world filled with Frankenstein’s abominations, Vampire Lords, Half-bloods, shape-shifters, and Lycanthropes of every imaginable variety, ALL of our childhood’s favorite TV and movie monsters converge with entirely unheard of creatures, most of whom spell trouble for Zombie Detective Matt Richter and his cadre of security professionals. When the neighboring businesses are a “misfortune teller” and a “head shop" – ("new and used, all species, original size and shrunken") – you just know there is going to be more than enough humor and horror to go around in this ambitious tale that starts with a mystery and escalates into an all out monster war.

I started reading this series with “Dead Streets” (Book 2) and felt (at first) as though maybe I should go back and read Book 1: “Nekropolis” before embarking on this path, but ‘Dead Streets’ was the book I was entrusted to review, so onward I forged, to be pleasantly surprised at the ease with which Tim Waggoner brought you right into the story regardless of having not yet read “Nekropolis” already. It’s like picking up right where you left off without ever having been there! That said, ‘Dead Streets’ made me hungry to go back and see how Matt Richter became a Zombie Detective in the first place, and of course, what the next case for Matt Richter – Zombie Detective will be.

Keep tuned in for more: COMING SOON! An audio excerpt from “Dead Streets” featuring a spoken excerpt with the music of the novel’s Banshee led, all monster band ‘Kakophonie’!

As one might hear on Bedlam 66.6 Nekropolis’ favorite ghoulish radio station.

T. Reed - Composer @TAOXproductions

About Me

T. Reed is a multi-media artist whose life-long passion for horror films (and the fusion of sound to picture) grew exponentially when he started writing and creating music videos with a team of colleagues in the late 1980’s. These collaborations resulted in several music videos appearing alongside artists such as Nine Inch Nails and Nitzer Ebb on VJ reels nationally distributed to over 300 nightclubs.
With over twenty years of professional experience in a vast array of industry capacities as a music producer, composer, sound designer, performing artist, engineer, writer, graphic artist, film maker etc., he developed well rounded experience in the entertainment industry. From grip work on film crews to creative director and composer, he has been on both sides of the camera and the stage at any given point and has worked closely with other film/video professionals in commercial and independent scenarios. Throughout the 1990s, he performed with the industrial metal shock rock band ‘Morpheus Sister’, sharing stages with Marilyn Manson, Deftones, Clutch, Love & Rockets, Helmet, Godflesh and others.